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Derivative Instruments
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative Instruments
15.    Derivative Instruments
U. S. Steel is exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risks in our European operations. USSE’s revenues are primarily in euros and costs are primarily in euros and U.S. dollars. U. S. Steel uses foreign exchange forward sales contracts (foreign exchange forwards) with maturities no longer than 12 months to exchange euros for U.S. dollars to manage our currency requirements and exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Derivative instruments are required to be recognized at fair value in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. U. S. Steel did not designate euro foreign exchange forwards entered into prior to July 1, 2019, as hedges; therefore, changes in their fair value were recognized immediately in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (mark-to-market accounting). For those contracts, U. S. Steel will continue to recognize changes in fair value immediately through earnings until the contracts mature. U. S. Steel elected cash flow hedge accounting for euro foreign exchange forwards prospectively effective July 1, 2019. Accordingly, future gains and losses for euro foreign exchange forwards entered into after July 1, 2019 will be recorded within accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) until the related contract impacts earnings. We mitigate the risk of concentration of counterparty credit risk by purchasing our forwards from several counterparties.
In 2018, U. S. Steel entered into long-term freight contracts in its domestic operations that require payment in Canadian dollars (CAD). We entered into foreign exchange forward contracts with remaining maturities up to
15 months to exchange USD for CAD to mitigate a portion of the related risk of exchange rate fluctuations and to manage our currency requirements. We elected to designate these contracts as cash flow hedges.
U. S. Steel may use fixed-price forward physical purchase contracts to partially manage our exposure to price risk related to the purchases of natural gas, zinc and tin used in the production process. Generally, forward physical purchase contracts qualify for the normal purchase and normal sales exceptions described in ASC Topic 815 and are not subject to mark-to-market accounting. U. S. Steel also uses financial swaps to protect from the commodity price risk associated with purchases of natural gas, zinc and tin (commodity purchase swaps). We elected cash flow hedge accounting for domestic commodity purchase swaps and use mark-to-market accounting for commodity purchase swaps used in our European operations.
From time to time, we enter into financial swaps that are used to partially manage the sales price of certain hot-rolled coil and iron ore pellet sales (sales swaps). We elected cash flow hedge accounting for hot-rolled coil sales swaps effective January 1, 2018 and for iron ore pellet sales swaps effective January 1, 2019.
In accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 820 on fair value measurements and disclosures, the fair value of our foreign exchange forwards, commodity purchase swaps and sales swaps was determined using Level 2 inputs, which are defined as "significant other observable" inputs. The inputs used are from market sources that aggregate data based upon market transactions.
The table below shows the outstanding swap quantities used to hedge forecasted purchases and sales as of September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018:
Hedge Contracts
Classification
 
September 30, 2019
 
September 30, 2018
Natural gas (in mmbtus)
Commodity purchase swaps
 
56,873,000

 
12,345,000

Tin (in metric tons)
Commodity purchase swaps
 
530

 
470

Zinc (in metric tons)
Commodity purchase swaps
 
14,561

 
13,886

Hot-rolled coils (in tons)
Sales swaps
 

 
38,000

Foreign currency (in millions of euros)
Foreign exchange forwards
 
316

 
275

Foreign currency (in millions of CAD)
Foreign exchange forwards
 
C$
33

 
C$
58


The following summarizes the fair value amounts included in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018:
(In millions) Designated as Hedging Instruments
Balance Sheet Location
 
September 30, 2019
 
December 31, 2018
Sales swaps
Accounts payable
 
$

 
$
1

Commodity purchase swaps
Accounts receivable
 
3

 
2

Commodity purchase swaps
Accounts payable
 
14

 
17

Commodity purchase swaps
Investments and long-term receivables
 
1

 

Commodity purchase swaps
Other long-term liabilities
 
8

 
1

Foreign exchange forwards
Accounts receivable
 
3

 

Foreign exchange forwards
Accounts payable
 
1

 
1

Foreign exchange forwards
Other long-term liabilities
 

 
1

 
 
 
 
 
 
Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
 
 
 
 
 
Foreign exchange forwards
Accounts receivable
 
9

 
12


The table below summarizes the effect of hedge accounting on AOCI and amounts reclassified from AOCI into earnings for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018:
 
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives in AOCI
 
 
Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income
(In millions)
Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
Location of Reclassification from AOCI (a)
Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
Sales swaps (b)
$

$
6

 
Net sales
$

$
(6
)
Commodity purchase swaps
(6
)

 
Cost of sales (c)
(4
)
(4
)
Foreign exchange forwards
3


 
Cost of sales


(a) The earnings impact of our hedging instruments substantially offsets the earnings impact of the related hedged items since ineffectiveness is less than $1 million.
(b) U. S. Steel has elected hedge accounting prospectively for iron ore pellet sales swaps on January 1, 2019.
(c) Costs for commodity purchase swaps are recognized in cost of sales as products are sold.
 
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives in AOCI
 
 
Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income
(In millions)
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
 
Location of Reclassification from AOCI (a)
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
Sales swaps (b)
$
1

$
(6
)
 
Net sales
$
(1
)
$
(9
)
Commodity purchase swaps
(2
)
(7
)
 
Cost of sales (c)
(14
)
(3
)
Foreign exchange forwards
4


 
Cost of sales


(a) The earnings impact of our hedging instruments substantially offsets the earnings impact of the related hedged items since ineffectiveness is less than $1 million.
(b) U. S. Steel has elected hedge accounting prospectively for iron ore pellet sales swaps on January 1, 2019.
(c) Costs for commodity purchase swaps are recognized in cost of sales as products are sold.
For euro foreign exchange forward derivatives where hedge accounting was not elected, there were gains of $11 million and $5 million in the three-month periods ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and gains of $18 million in both the first nine months of 2019 and 2018, respectively, recognized in other financial costs. There were no other material impacts for derivatives where hedge accounting was not elected.

At current contract values, $9 million currently in AOCI as of September 30, 2019 will be recognized as an increase in cost of sales over the next year as related hedged items are recognized in earnings. The maximum derivative contract duration for commodity purchase swaps is 27 months. There are no outstanding contracts for sales swaps.